NBA regular season games continued today, with teams that did not play on Christmas Day set to take the court.
The Miami Heat faced a tough challenge as they played against the Orlando Magic away from home. The game was hard-fought and the score remained close, with both teams taking turns in the lead, unable to pull away from each other.
This performance was considered unsatisfactory for the Heat, especially considering the Magic were without Banchero and the Wagner brothers, while Suggs had only just returned from injury and was playing through minor injuries. Despite these circumstances, the Heat were unable to secure a decisive victory.
In the fourth quarter, with the game reaching its climax, Herro stepped up and made a graceful mid-range shot, helping the Heat to overtake by one point, leaving the Magic with only 0.5 seconds on the clock.
Suggs' desperate three-pointer missed the mark, and the Magic lost at home to the Heat with a score of 88-89, conceding defeat in this "Florida Derby."
On the court, the Heat had executed a buzzer-beater against the Magic, and off the court, they completed another buzzer-beater—against Butler.
As Chinese media, we do not have people on the front lines to interview and gather information, so all the news is obtained through American media outlets. When reviewing American media reports, we choose relatively reliable sources and conduct cross-checking between multiple sources to confirm the authenticity of the information.
After days of observation, information gathering, and analysis, it is highly likely that Butler wants to leave the Heat.
There is no need to argue, "Did Butler tell you this himself?" or "Did you hear it under Butler's bed?" American media has already provided us with the answers.
Shams, who was the first to report that Butler was put on the trading block by the Heat, has a high level of accuracy, which is widely recognized in the media industry. Even when Butler's agent publicly refuted the claims, Shams remained undaunted and continued to report on the progress and related information regarding Butler's trade.
On December 25th, Duane Rankin, the Suns' team reporter, reported that the Suns were actively discussing a trade for Butler with the Heat, but the Heat did not want Beal.
Yesterday, Shams followed up with his report—he didn't just send a couple of sentences, but wrote an article to detail the development of events, determined to see it through to the end.
Butler hopes to leave Miami before the trade deadline, but potential suitors have also learned that Butler is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract in the summer of 2025, becoming a free agent.
Butler has not officially submitted a trade request to the Heat, but it is believed that he is ready to leave, with his ideal destinations being the Suns, Warriors, Mavericks, or Rockets.
The rift between the Heat and Butler was foreshadowed early on, primarily due to a conflict between Pat Riley and Butler.
Reporters Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang from The Miami Herald jointly reported that the conflict between Butler and Riley began after last season's playoff loss to the Celtics, with Riley's comments.
At the time, Butler declared that if he could play, "Boston and New York would both be going home."
Riley directly responded at a press conference, saying, "Regarding his remarks, I'm wondering, 'Is he joking or serious?' If you're not on the court facing the Celtics or Knicks, then you should keep your mouth shut."
Furthermore, the Heat offered Adebayo a three-year, $166 million contract extension this summer but did not reach a similar agreement with Butler, further widening the gap between them.
Lastly, Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang revealed that Butler was dissatisfied with the Heat not denying trade rumors.
From any perspective, it seems certain that Butler will leave Miami, with multiple teams calling the Heat to make offers, but the Heat are taking their time.
Finally, everything has settled down today.
The Heat announced that they will not trade Butler.
Riley stated in his declaration that the rumors or speculations have distracted the team's focus, which is unfair to the coaches and players.
Heat head coach Spoelstra expressed that they hope Butler stays, with no ifs or buts about it.
Adebayo said that they need to go out and win games to avoid distractions. Herro mentioned that he doesn't feel much about the trade rumors involving Butler, stating that the latter is just sick and resting for a few days.
Butler has missed the Heat's last two games due to illness but has chosen to return to the team and resume training, expected to play in the next game.
It appears that this dispute, with both sides holding their ground, will have to wait until the summer of 2025 for resolution.